Nagaland Tourism has partnered with Casio to organise Ticket to Hornbill 2026, a two-day nationwide band competition in New Delhi that will serve as a musical prelude to the Hornbill Festival.
The event will be held at Talkatora Stadium on October 16 and 17, with Casio sponsoring a prize pool of ₹25 lakh. The competition aims to provide a platform for talented bands while bringing Nagaland’s distinctive musical culture to audiences in the national capital.
Conceived as a route to the Hornbill Festival, Ticket to Hornbill will showcase the music, heritage and artistic character of Nagaland ahead of the main celebration in December.
The 2026 Hornbill Festival is scheduled from December 1 to 10 at Kisama Heritage Village in Kohima, bringing together the state’s diverse cultural traditions, music, arts and heritage.
Nagaland Tourism and Higher Education Minister Temjen Imna Along announced the Delhi event at the Delhi Press Club, in the presence of Abu Metha, Advisor to the Chief Minister of Nagaland; Takiyo Kimura, Managing Director of Casio India; and Theja Meri, Chairman of the Task Force for Music & Arts, Nagaland.
The collaboration is expected to strengthen Nagaland’s positioning as a destination for music and cultural tourism while creating greater national visibility for the Hornbill Festival.
